Scattered
by aslycsi1315
Summary: When police officers begin to disappear, including Benson and Stabler,evidence leads the Special Victims team to a serial killer and rapist who wants revenge against the NYPD.
1. Chapter 1

Grace Miles and Hank Matthews sat on their small white yacht in a small port in New York City. They were celebrating their one year anniversary by having a picnic and going sailing. It was a quiet Saturday evening and they had just come back from their sailing trip. Hank had become quite intoxicated, which required Grace to direct him off the boat. He had brought on the boat three bottles of champagne and drank two of them by himself, much to Grace's dismay.

Grace held onto Hank's arm as she directed him through the parking lot near the port. In the meantime, Hank was singing Elvis tunes badly and was still trying to drink the last bottle of champagne with his free hand. Grace had almost got Hank to the car when he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hey, what's that?"He slurred. He staggered over to small area of trees which led to a nearby park. Grace sprinted up to him and pulled his arm.

"Hank, let's go," she pleaded, "I don't like this area at night. I'm scared."

Hank laughed and pushed her off. He walked past the first set of trees and turned to Grace.

"Come on, baby! This will be fun! I-I swear like no other, ha!" he exclaimed. Grace glanced around the area nervously. She knew this was a bad area to be at night. In this area alone, there had been seven murders and ten rape cases in this area alone in the past month. She remembered cringing when she heard about the three girls from a sorority, who had all been raped and murdered in this park. She knew she had to leave, but knew she could not go alone. The police had issued a warning the previous day about being cautious when going out at night in this area, especially if you were a female and going alone.

"Hank, seriously! Take me home, now!" Grace exclaimed. She watched her drunken boyfriend saunter down the hill while singing. He walked a few feet and did a little dance and turned around to face Grace.

"Baby, are you afraid someone is going to get you?" Hank laughed. He jogged over to Grace and grabbed her hand. He pulled her into an embrace and tried to kiss her, but was met by serious resistance. Grace pushed him off and screamed, "God, you are so wasted! Take me home! NOW!"

Hank stopped and grunted, "Fine. I'm sorry." He frowned when he saw Grace staring past him. She walked past him and continued down the hill. Hank rolled his eyes and caught up to her.

"You say you want to leave and when I finally agree to it, you want to stay?" Hank asked. Grace didn't respond as she continued down the hill. At the bottom of the hill, the wooded area turned into a small empty field with a small playground about a half a mile from the bottom of the hill. Grace walked into the open field and stopped. Hank caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

"What's with you?" he exclaimed. Grace pointed over to the playground. Near a small slide was an empty police vehicle. Both doors were left wide open.

"How many police cars do you see left alone like that?" Grace asked. She slowly walked towards the car. Hank laughed and exclaimed, "You thinking what I'm thinking? Let's joyride this thing!"

"No, you idiot. Something is wrong."

After a few minutes, Hank and Grace finally approached the car. Grace slowly crept around the left door and glanced inside. The driver's seat was covered in blood and glass. On the floor on the passenger side was a women's left shoe covered in blood and glass. Grace covered her mouth and looked up at Hank, who was still staring inside the car. Grace took a step back and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed 911 and told the operator about the police car. Within five minutes, three police cars and an ambulance pulled up to where Grace and Hank stood.

A detective exited his car and approached Grace and Hank. He pulled out a flashlight and shone a light over the front of the vehicle. He stood still for a minute while another detective approached him. The second detective looked at Grace and Hank and said, "Hi, this is Detective Tutuola and I'm Detective Munch. What time did-"

Finn cut him off and said, "Munch, call the captain."

"Why?"

"I'm pretty sure this is the car Olivia and Elliot left the station in four hours ago."


	2. Chapter 2

Cragan arrived to the scene in five minutes. He ran up to Munch and Finn and asked, "What do we have?"

"Live and El's car. There are blood stains, broken glass, and some of their belongings. It looks a fight when down here," Finn said. He walked around the back of the vehicle and looked up at Cragen. He shone his flashlight under the car and bent down. Munch turned and watched the Crime Scene Unit pull up in their vehicles. Three techs approached quickly and started to set themselves up to investigate. Finn stepped back as one began to analyze the rear of the vehicle. He glanced up and saw Cragen, who had just received a call. Finn noticed that the captain's expression had gone from shock to extreme concern. After a few minutes, he ended the call and turned to Munch and Finn.

"CSU will finish up and meet us back at the station. We need to head to the courthouse," Cragen stated.

"Wait! What about Elliot and Olivia?"Finn exclaimed.

"That's one of the reasons why we are going there. I just received a call from the 88th Precinct in Brooklyn. Apparently, 3 other detectives have gone missing in the past 24 hours. The mayor wants this handled quietly and quickly. If the media finds out that 5 detectives are missing, it's going to look like the NYPD can't even take care of their own, let alone 10 million people. We are meeting officers from Brooklyn, Queen, and the Bronx. Right now, it looks like we can do a joint investigation, but we only get 5 days. After that, the FBI gets called in."

"Wait! How do 5 detectives go missing and no one even noticed?"

"That's what we're going to figure out. "

Twenty minutes later, a group of officers and detectives from throughout the NYPD precincts sat in a conference room in the courthouse. They all waited impatiently for the meeting to start so that they could go find their men. Cragen sat next to the door and fingered through a file filled with information about the missing officers. There were two missing from Brooklyn, one missing from Queens, and two missing from Manhattan. Cragen sighed –already there was no clear pattern besides the fact that they all worked for the NYPD.

Detective Amelia James and officer Chris Williams were the two who were missing from Brooklyn. Both usually worked together since Amelia investigated narcotic cases, which Chris would usually find. Besides working together, there were no similarities between the two. One was married and one was not. Amelia lived in a wealthy, small community while Chris lived a large, urban area. Amelia went missing while on her way to re interview a suspected drug dealer around 9am that day. Amelia was not the friendliest person which was why no one suspected or reported anything until 10 that night. There was no clues to where and how Chris was kidnapped. He had clocked out and told a co-worker that he was going to New Jersey to buy lottery tickets. His wife called the police after no phone calls from Chris four hours after he left. It was usually a 30 minute trip to and from New Jersey even in heavy traffic.

From Queens, prosecutor and veteran police officer Jessica Craymen went missing while at home. She lived in a tall apartment building in an area known for being loud and dangerous. She went missing over night, but was reported missing by her boyfriend who found her door left open, left ajar, and covered in blood.

Elliot and Olivia were the last two. The team had been hunting a rapist who raped three young girls near a university. The suspect was a young man whose parents could buy their son's way out of anything. The young man, Cole Myers, had his father hire an attorney who was able to get Cole out of lock up based on the small amount of evidence. Elliot and Olivia had left hours before their car was found to keep an eye on Cole. They had only planned to monitor him for a few hours until a group of officers would have taken over for them. After 5 hours had passed, everyone at the station had assumed that Elliot and Olivia had decided to extend their stakeout. Once Elliot's wife, Kathy, called upset and worried that she had not heard, seen, or communicated with her husband since morning, Finn had started to get worried. By the time, they were ready to go looking for Elliot and Olivia, the phone call about their car had come.

Cragen shifted in his seat. His detectives had been missing for six and a half hours and could be alive or dead. Before Cragen had left to go to the courthouse, he had noticed that there was a vast amount of blood on the driver's seat. If one of them had been sitting there, which was highly likely, the chance of surviving that long with that much blood loss were slim.

"Good evening, can I have your attention please?" a large booming voice asked. The volume of the voice's pitch had snapped Cragen out of his thoughts. He turned to see the Police Commissioner standing at the entrance of the doorway. He entered the room which was met with a silence covering the room. The man smiled and said, "Thank you."

"As you all know, five of our own are missing- James, Williams, Crayman, Benson, and Stabler. We need to keep this quiet at all costs. The entire force needs to work together on this. Also remember the mayor only gave us 5 days to investigate before the FBI comes in, so let's make the best of it. We know about when they went missing and where they were last. Now- "

The police commissioner was stopped by a young secretary who had run into the room. She whispered into his right ear, changing his relatively calm expression to shock. He turned to everyone and bit his lip. The room quieted down quickly and stared at the police commissioner. The police commissioner stated, "We have just received word that a tall Caucasian male, mid 40s, was found dead in Central Park."

The commissioner bit his lip again. He tried to figure out the best way to tell them who died and the manner.

"Who is it?" an officer yelled. There were only two males-Chris and Elliot. Both were Caucasian and in their mid 40s. The police commissioner answered,

"I'm so sorry, we found-"


	3. Chapter 3

"We found Chris Williams."

Cragen let out a sigh of relief. Olivia and Elliot may still be alive. He glanced over to the two Brooklyn officers sitting across from him. He could tell that they were incredibly upset, but were trying to hide it. Cragen turned back to the police commissioner, who said, "I know this is a great lost for us, but we need to catch this guy before we lose any more of our own. Manhattan's Special Victim squad will handle William's death."

The police commissioner gave everyone a nod, turned around, and left. As soon as the door closed behind him, the quiet room suddenly became filled with chatter. Finn and Munch approached Cragen with confused looks on their faces.

"Why are we investigating? Shouldn't Major Case squad take this?"Munch asked.

Cragen answered, "I don't know. Let's head to the scene and find out."

About two hours later, the team arrived in Central Park. Williams had been found in a wooded area by two joggers. Williams was found in his uniform, but with a port authority badge around his neck. His hands and legs were bound and had apparently been shot in the back of the head execution style. When the team arrived, they found Melinda examining the body. She was crouched over the body and staring at it with a saddened expression. Finn called out her name and she did not respond. Finn touched her shoulder, which caused her to jump up.

"Oh, sorry," she stated, "It's just that I met him once at a police gala. He was a nice man. "

Finn nodded and said, "I know- I'm sorry. Do you have a cause of death?"

"Gun shot wound to the head. Also, it looks like he had been tortured. Time of death was around 11 last night. "

"Ok. That's around the time Elliot and Olivia went missing. Can you tell me why they called us?"

"Of course," Melinda answered. She bent down and pointed to Williams pants. "The zipper had been left undone. There are also blood stains on his thighs. Until I get a test done, my preliminary theory was that he was tortured, raped, then killed."

Munch nodded while he bent down next to the body. He pointed at the badge.

"Captain, where did you say Williams worked?" he asked. He pulled out a cloth and lifted up the badge. Underneath, was a picture of a young Asian girl lying dead on the ground The photo gave no indication of who the girl was, where she was, and who had killed her.

"He worked in narcotics. Why?"

"He's wearing a port authority badge. There was this photo tucked under the badge." Munch responded while handing Cragen the picture. Cragen stared at the photo and responded, "Give it to CSU. Have them run it and see if she is a missing person, a cold case, or a really old case."

About an hour later, Munch, Cragen, and Finn were sitting in the station looking over files. CSU had found that she was a victim of a crime that took place in the 1970s. The woman's name was Era James and had died at 27 years old. She was a prostitute that had worked around people involved in mainly drugs. Era had disappeared for a few days before she was found dead at a port. Narcotics investigated and found out that an officer had killed her. It was never figured out why that officer did it, but due to circumstantial evidence the officer was never charged.

"Ok, so we know this is a narcotics case which ties it back to Williams," Cragen stated. He pulled up crime scene photos on a computer. He turned to face Munch and Finn and continued, "Besides being a narcotics case, there are no other ties between Williams and that case. We still don't know why he left the badge- it does tie back to the victim being found at a port."

"What I don't understand is why the kidnapper took Williams. Williams was 15 when the crime occurred," Finn muttered as Dr. Huang approached him from behind. He stared at the computer screen for a moment and said, "It's a game."

"What?" Cragen exclaimed.

"Whoever this guy is, he's playing a game. He has total control- the entire city is in disarray because there is chaos within NYPD. It destroys NYPD's credibility. It shows New Yorkers that the police cannot even protect their own, let alone the residents. He seems bent on revenge. That young girl was maybe a relative or friend: maybe, he is an anarchist. He sees a crooked cop get off the hook so he decides to take revenge. Williams must have been picked out randomly. I think this guy wants NYPD to scatter. The badge might also be a clue, not just a piece of the old crime scene," Huang explained.

"Yeah, did CSU get a match on that badge?" Cragen asked.

"Yeah, they just emailed it to me. Let me pull it up," Finn answered. He pulled up his email and clicked on the email from CSU. A photo of a white bald male showed up on the screen. Munch's eyes widened as he said, "That's not our guy."

"This is Carter Dean. He worked with port authority from 1989- 1993. He was arrested and charged for rape and murder in 1993. He was sentenced to life, but with some really good lawyers, he was able to get out on a parole last year. Captain, if the killer is making cops today pay for crooked cops' past, his next target would be special victims! This could be Elliot and Olivia!" Finn exclaimed.

Cragen nodded and said "Ok, I need you to call the police commissioner and tell them that we need all available men down at all the ports in New York City. Tell them that this could be a search and rescue! If we hurry, we might be able to save them."

Finn glanced down at his watch for the third time. It had just dawned on him Elliot and Olivia had been missing for 12 hours now. He had been searching a warehouse on a port near JFK airport. There were dozens of officers searching piers throughout NYC for hours, but nothing had come up. It was starting to get chilly now, which made Finn worry. If they were alive, being near the ocean in September wouldn't help them. Finn sighed and continued down to the end of the warehouse. It was so eerily quiet that it made him a little nervous. Finn put his hand on the holster of his gun as he slowly entered a different room. The room was filled with rowing boats, rope, and rowing sticks.

Finn glanced around the room and listened for any noise. After a few seconds, he heard what sounded like a cough to him. Finn walked towards where he heard the cough and walked down an aisle of rowboats. He stopped again and held his breathe, hoping to hear that sound again. Another minute went by before he heard the cough again. Finn whipped his head around and saw a wide rowing boat covered with a blanket on the floor. Finn kneeled down, took a breath, and pulled the blanket of the boat.

Elliot was laying on top of Olivia, who was out cold. Both were pale and covered in head to toe in blood with their clothes torn up. Elliot was panting with his arm around Olivia, protecting her. He looked up at Finn for a moment then started to drop his head. Finn coughed Elliot's shoulder and tried to hold him up. With his other arm, he pulled out his radio and radioed, "We need a bus to the Sea Lane Port ASAP! "

Finn put down his radio and exclaimed, "Come on, man. You guys are going to be ok. Come on!" He checked Olivia's pulse, which was very faint. Elliot looked Finn directly in the eye and said, "I-I'm sorry."

He blinked then lost consciousness. Finn turned his head towards the door and yelled, "Somebody help!"


	4. Chapter 4

Cragen checked his watch for the 5th time in the last 5 minutes. He stood in the hallway of the surgery floor at a hospital. Finn and Munch stood behind him talking amongst themselves. It had been five hours since Finn had found Olivia and Elliot on the port. Within ten minutes, both were taken to the closest hospital and admitted into surgery. No one had told them about their status since they were admitted, which bothered Cragen.

After a few minutes had passed, a male doctor approached Cragen. He looked at Cragen and said, "Are you the captain?"

"Yes," Cragen responded. He stepped aside from Finn and Munch with the doctor and asked, "How are they?"

"Not good. I have only seen wounds like that when I served a tour overseas as a military physician. Both were tortured- lacerations all over their bodies, burns, internal bleeding, broken ribs, you name it. Detective Benson sustained a broken tibia while Detective Stabler had to receive a blood transfusion due to a gunshot in his right arm. Both were dehydrated and feverish."

"Are they awake?"

"No, we gave them sedatives. Detective Benson had been awake for a little while, but after becoming hysteric, we had to sedate her. We would like to monitor them for at least month."

"Ok, ok," Cragen muttered. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and answered it. It was Melinda.

"Cragen, I have some information on Williams."

"Ok, what do you have?"

"I ran a blood test and found a mix of sedatives in his system. He was probably drugged beyond belief and then killed. He died a couple of hours before we found him. One thing that was weird was that there was no trace on him. I could not find any DNA left from his kidnapper- it was like the kidnapper was not even there. It will be another day before I get the rape kit processed, but it'll get high priority. I would tell any physician there to run a blood test and rape kit on both Olivia and Elliot as well. It would not hurt."

"Ok, thanks," Cragen stated and then hung up. He told the doctor to run the tests and then walked over to his team. Finn, who had been staring at the floor, glanced up at Cragen. "How are they?" he asked.

"Not so good. We need to focus on figuring out what happened to them, Williams, and see if we can rescue the other two before they end up dead. Let's head back to the station and look through the evidence at Williams' crime scene. "

Twenty minutes later, Cragen and Munch stood in front of a computer screen at the station. Finn had gone home to get a few hours of sleep. The team was beginning to worry due to the fact they were running out of time- the FBI would arrive in two days and take over the case. Both men were stumped at the evidence in front of them. No fingerprints or DNA had showed up at Williams' crime scene. No one had noticed Williams' body being dumped in Central Park. No one had even seen any of the five detectives/ officers being kidnapped. The only people who had any clue about who the kidnapper was Olivia and Elliot, who were both still unconscious in the surgery wing.

Cragen yawned and said, "Ok, let's run what we have. Let's just look at Williams, Benson, and Stabler. "

Munch nodded and pointed to the screen. "Chris Williams, "he started, "Went missing around 5 pm two nights ago. His was found dead in Central Park 7 am the next morning. Elliot and Olivia went missing anywhere from 4pm- 11:30pm two nights ago. We found them five hours ago thirty miles away from Williams."

"Why were they so far apart? Williams went only missing for 10 hours. Elliot and Olivia were missing for over a day. None of this adds up. Two different spots and completely unorganized- what's with this guy?"

"He is messing with us. No order- it makes it much harder for us to track him down. "

Munch sat down on his desk, bowed his head, and rubbed his temples. He was exhausted beyond belief and this case was becoming harder and harder to solve. When he raised his head a few moments later, he noticed a package sitting on Elliot's desk. It was a small brown package with white lace around it. Munch immediately felt suspicious especially due to it not having a return address.

"Captain, when was that delivered?"He asked.

Cragen turned around and stared at the package. "I don't know- it must have been delivered yesterday while we were out searching." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small pocket knife. He knew it was not safe to open the package without anyone checking it first, but he did not care. Cragen poked a hole in the tape on top of the package and slowly cut the tape and lace. He opened it and felt complete shock.

The package was filled with tons of shredded newspapers. At the top of the package was a small newspaper clipping. It was titled "New York PD Budget Increase" and was dated from last year. The article explained how the NYPD was going to receive an increase in their budget allowing them to get new software and computers. The article also mentioned that the increase in money was coming from the city's education budget. A photo of Jessica Craymen was next to the article showing her standing next to her computer. Next to the newspaper clipping was a picture of Jessica covered in blood hanging from a noose in a warehouse dead.


	5. Chapter 5

"Baby, it's ok! You're ok!"

Elliot shot up from his bed in a sweat. He had been lost in a nightmare which resonated of his kidnapping. He blinked twice and saw his wife standing in front of him with a worried look on her face. Elliot suddenly felt pain throughout his body which made him lie back down. The last thing he remembered was laying on cold concrete bleeding out onto the floor next to Olivia.

Kathy put her hand on his head which caused him to move away. He was so confused and scared that he did not want to be touched. All he wanted was to figure out where he was, what had happened to Olivia and him, and for the pain to go away. He looked around to figure out his surroundings. Kathy was standing on his right and looked exhausted. It took him a moment to realize that he was in a hospital room. Cragen stood near the entrance of the room with a concerned look on his face.

Kathy pulled her hand back and looked to Cragen, who gave her a nod to meet him outside. Both left in complete in silence leaving Elliot alone in the room.

Down the hall, Olivia was sitting in her bed staring out the window. She brought her hand to her neck and touched a bandage. She remembered when her kidnapper slit her throat in front of Elliot. The image of Elliot's horrified look as her throat was slit was ingrained in her memory. It hurt to talk forcing her to sit alone in complete silence. She turned her head and saw the Cragen, Munch, Finn, and Huang talking amongst themselves in the hallway. Every few moments they would glance towards her then back to another room. She assumed it was Elliot's room.

Olivia shifted in her seat and sighed. She needed Elliot by her side right now to hold her. It was unusual for her to form such an attachment to him, but she did not care. She needed her friend to protect her like he did during their kidnapping.

While lost in her thoughts, Olivia did not notice Finn entering the room. He stood by the door and watched her stare aimlessly at the wall. He wanted to go over and hug her, but he remembered Olivia's reaction when she had just woken up. She freaked out whenever any doctor came near her to the point where they needed to sedate her.

"Hey, how are you?" he asked. Olivia turned to him and croaked, "I'm ok."

"You don't have to say anything. I know it hurts to talk," Finn stated, "I have a few questions for you. You know the drill."

As Olivia nodded, Finn tried to compose himself. She was a team member, but now also a victim. He took a breath and replied, "A Bronx precinct is going to take your case before the FBI comes. Thankfully, they offered to work with us since- Did anyone tell you what happened?"

Olivia's expression did not change as she nodded no.

"Amelia James, Chris Williams, Jessica Crayman, and you two all went missing within the last two days. Based on your expression, I think you already knew that. We found Chris dead a couple hours after we found your car."

"Together," Olivia whispered. Finn raised his eyebrows and took a step forward. Olivia scooted back with an alarming expression on her face.

"You guys were all together?"

"Warehouse. I think, "Olivia whispered. She winced in pain with every word she spoke.

"Thanks, you did great. I'm going to let you get some rest," Finn said as he turned to walk out.

"Elliot?" Olivia whimpered.

"He's ok. I swear, "Finn answered as he left. He walked out into the hallway and met Munch, Huang, and Cragen.

"What the hell did this guy do to them?"Finn exclaimed.

"He broke them," Huang responded. "He broke them physically, emotionally, and mentally. I find it odd, though. He seemed to have planned this out months or years in advanced. He wants to destroy the NYPD. He killed Williams quickly, tortured Olivia and Elliot, but then probably tortured and killed Jessica. Why didn't he kill Elliot and Olivia? And why were they considered a pair? He should have done separate things to each of them."

"Like you said, doc. He is screwing with us."

Hours later, Elliot sat in his bed unable to sleep. Kathy had gone home to tend to the children, which worried Elliot. He was afraid what this would do their marriage and what she would tell the children. He had been injured many times on the job creating many trips to the hospital for the family. It frightened him to think about how he would react if the children came to see him like this.

Elliot heard the door to his room creek open. He looked up to see Olivia limping in to his room.

"Can't sleep?" he asked. She nodded and limped over to his bed. Elliot scooted over as far as he could while Olivia climbed in to his bed. She turned her head to him and whispered, "I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep. I keep reliving it every time I close my eyes."

"I know. Me too."

"How do you feel?"

"Like a train ran over me, reversed and then did it again."

Olivia snorted and said, "Only you would say that."

"Well, you know me. By the way, are you allowed to leave your room? I heard you went nuts earlier."

"I did not go nuts. Hey, you went crazy too."

"Not enough to be sedated," Elliot laughed. He pulled the covers over the both of them and whispered, "We can't keep doing sleepovers like this. It might give people ideas. Interesting ideas."

Olivia giggled and settled in the bed next to Elliot. Within minutes, both were asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Olivia opened her eyes and smiled. She had slept through the night with no nightmares. She glanced over to Elliot who was still asleep. He looked so peaceful and handsome to her as his chest moved up and down gently. She turned her head and saw Kathy staring at her with an annoyed look on her face. Olivia quickly sat up and said, "Hi, Kathy."

"Did you sleep with my husband?" she spat. She crossed her arms and glared at Olivia. Olivia bit her lip. She always felt like Kathy had a little bit of paranoia about her partnership with Elliot. She had her reasons since they were with each other 90 percent of the time. Olivia felt that Kathy had nothing to worry about her and Elliot, but she had realized within the past few days that she needed Elliot. Olivia was beginning to wonder if she needed him to be more than just a friend.

"Well, did you?" Kathy demanded. Olivia snapped out of her thoughts and said, "No, I mean yes. We could not sleep and I came here to talk. I guess I must have fallen asleep here." She pulled herself out of the bed and landed on her good leg. She limped towards the door and felt Kathy's glare follow her. She turned to see Elliot still asleep oblivious to Kathy's anger. Olivia swallowed and limped out the room. She took a few steps before she stopped feeling instantly sick to her stomach. A nurse grabbed her arm and said, "There you are. I have been looking for you all morning. Ms. Benson, are you ok?"

Olivia put her hand to her abdomen and rose it back to her eyes. It was covered in blood. She looked at the nurse with a panicked look on her face. The nurse sat her down and called for help. All Olivia could hear was the nurse repeatedly calling her name before she fainted.

Meanwhile in Elliot's room, Kathy slowly approached her husband's bed. She sat where Olivia had been lying and touched her husband's forehead. It warmed her heart when he did not flinch at her touch. She leaned over him and whispered, "Hey, baby."

Elliot smiled while still asleep and muttered, "Hey, Liv."

A few hours later, Olivia woke up feeling worse than she did before. She blinked a few times and tried to sit up. Her eyes widened when she saw a restraint on her right arm. She tugged on it a few times and heard a laugh from the other side of the room. Olivia turned her head and saw a man wearing a Bronx police badge standing by the door.

"You popped a couple stitches before you fainted. The nurse put that there so you would not try to leave again," the man said.

"Who are you?"Olivia demanded.

"I'm Detective Marcus Thames from Bronx. My partner, who spoke to Detective Stabler, and I were assigned your case. Can you tell me what happened?" the man said. He watched Olivia shift in her bed and look out the window. She muttered, "Elliot and I were watching the movements on a possible rapist. We were there from 4pm till about 7pm, I think. I remember glass breaking and that's it."

Detective Thames stared at her for a few moments then nodded his head. He turned and walked out without saying a word. Olivia sighed and tapped her hands on the bed. She could tell that Detective Thames had figured out that she was hiding something. She hoped he did not come back again mainly because she did not trust him. Something about his demeanor made her nervous. She closed her eyes to attempt to go back to sleep when her phone rang. She grabbed the phone with her free hand and answered it.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Detective Benson, tsk,tsk,tsk. Did you really think Stabler and you could hide from me?" the caller responded. Olivia's heart dropped at the sound of the voice. It was him-their kidnapper.

"Anyway, how's that window view? A nice view of Manhattan and a big expensive hospital room, as well. I was calling to tell you that I will get the both of you back. You can't run again. Plus, I don't think you two want the NYPD to know what you did while you were with me, do you?"

Olivia hand trembled as she held the phone without saying a word.

"Silence, huh? Stabler was quiet too. So, I will see you soon and when I do I will make you two wish that you were dead."

The phone went dead. Olivia was in complete shock. He had found them and there was no way to escape.


	7. Chapter 7

"_You have to pick Detective. Williams or your partner!"_

_Elliot was on his knees trying to reach towards Olivia. The handcuff that chained him to the wall was preventing him from reaching her._

"_I can't. Please stop it!" Elliot exclaimed. Every time the kidnapper whipped Olivia, she let out a scream which broke Elliot's heart. She was on all fours crying as blood soaked her clothes. One of the kidnapper's partner slid an item towards Elliot._

"_Make the choice, detective! Whose life is more important?"_

The memory of that moment was stuck in Elliot's mind. He stood in front of the window in his room watching the activity outside. Nurses were running back and fort between patients. Doctors were speaking with each other and pointing to his and Olivia's room. His wife and children had left a few hours ago to go get some rest and eat. Kathy was extremely angry at him for calling out Olivia's name instead of hers. He did not know why he did it, but it felt right to him. Elliot wondered if she would even come by in the morning. Besides a long argument between Kathy and him and Olivia collapsing, his afternoon had gone rather peacefully. He had begun to lose some of his fear and relax although he couldn't get what his kidnappers had told them out of his head. They had ingrained dark, destructive thoughts in their heads- fears that they had never felt before. Fears of being kidnapped again and his family being hurt swirled through his head like flies. Elliot was brave all his life, but now he felt like a scared little boy. He had to make that choice- he had to save his partner. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if he did not.

Elliot snapped out of his thoughts and decided to go visit Olivia. He needed someone to talk to and he wanted to see if she was ok. He opened the door and slowly entered the hallway. He walked past the nurse's station, but stopped suddenly. Three nurses were gathered around a newspaper reading the front page. There was a photo on the front page that shocked him. It was a photo of a handwritten note that was sent to the editor of the newspaper. Elliot stepped forward to see the photo more clearly, but had alerted the nurses reading the paper. One of them pulled it back so he could not see it. Elliot reached out his hand and pleaded, "Please let me see it. I need to."

The nurse looked towards the others then handed him the paper. He held onto it with his good arm and headed to Olivia's room. He opened the door and entered quietly. Olivia sat up when she saw him and asked, "El, did you get the phone call from him? What are we going to do? Elliot?"

Elliot said nothing as he tossed the newspaper on to her lap. She looked over the front page and gasped.

Back at the station, Cragen was livid. The NYPD was working hard and going through the evidence as fast they could. They were near figuring out what happened to Williams when they received the photo of Jessica Crayman. A few hours later, Finn stormed into the station incredibly angry and showed Cragen the newspaper headline. The kidnappers had struck again with making NYPD look incompetent.

The handwritten photo had a list of police officers who had gotten away with crimes they had committed. There was list of over 20 officers and detectives on the list getting away with an array of crimes ranging from a drinking and driving charges to murder. It destroyed NYPD's credibility and made them look corrupt. The worst part of it was that there was a sentence written at the bottom of the note that read,

"Detectives Elliot Stabler, Olivia Benson, and Amelia James will all be murdered within 12 hours."

Cragen was very upset at the fact that the newspaper company had printed the note without consulting the NYPD. It gave the newspaper the readers it wanted- almost every newspaper stand in the city was empty. The news of the note spread outside of the city which prompted the FBI to come in a day and a half early. Dozens of agents now roamed through the station picking up all the evidence that the NYPD had found. The FBI had agreed to a limit joint investigation, but Cragen knew that it meant the FBI was taking over.

Finn, Munch, and Cragen sat in Cragen's office watching the FBI agents crowd the police station. Finn turned to Cragen and asked, "What now, captain?"

"The FBI claims that they will do a joint investigation with us, but there are not going to let us do anything. We still have a copy of the evidence so we aren't totally screwed. We can still see if we can find anything we may have missed earlier. Finn, go get Melinda and meet Munch and I at the hospital. We may not be able to solve the case, but we can at least protect our people."

Olivia stared at the front page of the paper in complete shock. He was going to kill them within 12 hours. She looked up to Elliot and panicked, "What are we going to do? He knows where we are! El, what are we going to do!"

Elliot sat on the bed and pulled her into a hug. He whispered quietly into her ear, " We are going to be ok." Olivia reached her hand out and gently put it on top of Elliot's. He turned his hand allowing her hand to lie on his palm. Her heart started to race as she put her fingers through his fingers. She turned her head to him and stared into his beautiful green eyes. He put a finger on her chin and pulled her into a kiss. For that moment, all of their worries had disappeared into thin air. They would have kissed for forever it seemed, but the ring of Olivia's cell phone ended the moment. She pulled back and reached for her phone. They smiled at each other nervously for a few moments before Olivia flipped open her cell phone.

It was a picture message sent from an unrecognizable number. Elliot began to worry as he saw Olivia's smile fade away. She turned her phone to him and showed him the picture. It was them kissing a few moments ago in Olivia's room. Olivia stammered,

"He's here. He's in the building."


	8. Chapter 8

Cragen and Munch arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later. They were surprised to see Elliot in Olivia's room, but concerned about the look on their faces. Cragen could see how broken, exhausted, and scared they were. As he entered the room, he could see Olivia staring and holding her phone.

"Hey, how have you two been?" he asked calmly. Elliot, who was sitting by the window, looked over to Cragen and said, "We are so screwed."

"Yeah, we saw the note. That's why we are here. One of us or an officer will always be with you two until we catch this guy. Also, both of your rape tests came back positive. Melinda also found sedatives in your blood tests similar to Williams. "

"No, Captain I'm not talking about that. Yesterday, we both received phone calls from our kidnapper. He knew where we were and told us that he would come find us again. Twenty minutes ago, he took a picture of us, um… talking, from what it looks like from this floor. I walked around the floor twice searching for him and I could not find him."

"Wait, he called you? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I called and told Detective Thames and his partner and they said they would look into it. "

Cragen glared at Elliot. "And when neither of them or an officer showed up to protect you guys, that seemed ok to you?"

"Captain, it hasn't really been a good week-"

"Enough! What are we going to do?" Olivia exclaimed.

"Ok, ok, NYPD has not found Amelia yet, so she still may be alive. The FBI came in and took over, but we can still look through copies of the evidence and see if we can find something. As for you two, we are going to take you out of the city. It should be out of his range, so you two should be safe," Cragen stated.

Munch left to go and get discharge papers. Cragen watched Munch leave then said, "When I said we will look at evidence, I meant myself, Finn, Munch, and Melinda. You two will be giving me your statements on what happened. Do not give me the crap you told Detective Thames! I know you both remember more than that and you will tell me once get out of the city. Are we clear?"

"Yes," Olivia and Elliot answered in unison.

"Ok, Elliot, your wife was informed about us moving you. I need you both dressed and ready to go in five minutes. I don't understand this guy at all, why would he show up five feet away and disappear especially after the treats he made."

Elliot muttered, "To scare us. And it worked." 

Five minutes later, Elliot, Cragen, and Olivia stepped out of the elevator into the main entrance of the hospital. There were dozens of people sitting in the lobby waiting for the hospital free flu shots. Olivia hobbled behind everyone on her crutches in pain. Everything still hurt especially her leg which felt like it was on fire. She was happy to be leaving the city even if it was for just a day. It allowed her to get away from the kidnapper, the nightmare, and the fear that he may be standing right around every corner ready to kill her. Olivia took one more step before a gunshot rang through the air. Cragen pulled her down to the ground next to Elliot causing her to land on her bad leg. She winced in pain trying to hold back the desire to strangle Cragen.

"NYPD! Put the gun down!" Cragen exclaimed as he pointed his gun at the gunman. Hospital security cops were beginning to arrive ready for action. The gunman was Detective Thames who was holding a gun to Amelia James' neck. She was covered in blood and was being dragged around by Thames like a rag doll.

Thames smiled when he saw Olivia and Elliot. He laughed as he said, "You two still don't remember me? That's interesting especially with the last few interesting days we have had. "

"Thames! I said put the gun down!" Cragen yelled.

"Captain, relax. I am not here to kill your detectives. Amelia on the other hand…" replied Thames. He pushed Amelia out in front of him and shot her in the head before she could run away. She hit the ground next to Olivia. People on the floor screamed as Amelia was shot.

"She was getting in the way. She escaped like you two did," Thames stated. Cragen's eyes widened as he looked down to Elliot and Olivia. He felt angry that they had not told him anything about what had happened.

"You did not know? I'm not surprised. Well, since I'm here, I might as well ruin the surprise. I was the one who shot Stabler when Benson and him while they were on the stakeout. I was the one who raped the both of them. I am also the one who took the photo of you two lovebirds. That's not even the best part! Chris Williams was killed by a gunshot wound to the head, right? Elliot, who was the one that killed Chris Williams?"

Elliot swallowed as all eyes turned to him. He stood up and looked Thames right in the eye and said, "I did."


	9. Chapter 9

The entire room went quiet. Olivia could feel everyone's eyes move from Thames to Elliot and her. It felt like the world had stopped for a moment as Elliot's confession sank in. Images of the shooting flashed through Olivia's mind causing her heart to race. Her heart began to race a million miles a minute as she began to realize that Thames would reveal what she had done next.

"Benson, what about you?" Thames asked. Olivia whipped her head to Thames who smiling gleefully like a kid in a candy store. She closed her eyes and muttered, "Please don't make me say it."

"Well, fine. The truth will come out. As you can see, my fellow New Yorkers, not only can the NYPD not protect their own officers let alone the city, they are also murderers," Thames exclaimed. He tossed the gun towards hospital security guards, got on his knees, and put his hands behind his head. As Cragen arrested him, bystanders began to spread gossip through text or word of mouth about the cop who killed an innocent fellow officer.

"Olivia? Liv?"

Olivia blinked and noticed that Finn was kneeling next to her. With a worried expression on his face, Finn whispered, "Come on, let's go. We are going to leave the city. Come on."

A few hours later, Cragen was sitting at a desk in a hotel suite about 30 minutes outside of New York City. Finn and Munch were scanning the halls for any signs of danger. It was approaching 6pm causing a warm orange glow to cover the sky signaling the sun setting. A newspaper was located near the end of the table. The front page covered the incident in the hospital and had even begun to speculate on possible corruption in the NYPD.

Cragen scratched his head and yawned. Nothing in the case made sense, especially, Elliot's confession of murdering Chris Williams. It sounded like a lie, but the sorrow on Elliot's face confirmed its validity. He wanted an explanation immediately after Thames had been arrested, but had decided to let it go until the next morning. Not only did Elliot and Olivia need to be in a safe location, they also needed to rest. Neither of them had slept in days.

In the corner of his eye, he noticed that Olivia was sitting near the window. Cragen tiptoed over to her and knelt down next to her. Olivia smiled at him as he knelt down.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Go to sleep, Olivia," Cragen responded.

"I don't want to."

"You need it. You haven't slept in days."

Olivia closed her eyes and nodded. Cragen turned to walk away, but Olivia stated, "Elliot killed Chris to protect me."

Cragen walked over to her and sat down next to her.

Olivia smiled as a tear fell down her face, "Chris did nothing wrong. El had to kill an innocent man to protect me. We only met him for a little while, but he was so nice. When I woke up after they took us, I was alone. It scared me that I didn't know where Elliot was. Chris was sitting a few feet from me and he comforted me. It was so cold and Chris put his arm around me to keep me warm. He told me about what happened to us, his job, and even about his wife who is expecting.

Before I had woken up, Elliot had been taunting one of the kidnappers. So, they taught him a lesson by raping him. After awhile, they dragged Elliot back into the room. One guy grabbed my hair and pushed me on all fours. They started whipping me. Elliot was then given a choice- kill an innocent man which would spare my life or kill me and let Williams live. So, Elliot shot Chris. It destroyed him; I mean Chris didn't deserve this. None of us did. Its funny- as soon as Elliot killed Chris, they dragged me into a room and raped me."

Cragen swallowed as he saw Olivia break down in tears. He quietly said, "How many of them were there?"

"5. One for each of us, I guess. The head of the pack- his name was Carter. "

"You don't remember Detective Thames kidnapping you two?"

"No. A bullet hit Elliot in the arm and before I could help him, my window was shattered. They pulled me out of the car and took my gun. I jammed a piece of glass in one of their eyes and fell to the ground. Last thing I remember was reaching for the pistol under the passenger seat before I fainted. I think they used a syringe to drug me."

"He said you did something. What was it?"

Olivia looked at Cragen and whispered, "Tomorrow?"

"Ok, we can finish this tomorrow."

Back in Manhattan, Kathleen Stabler walked down an empty street while texting. She was texting the latest gossip between to her best friend. It was a good break for her, especially with the events of the last week. Not only did her boyfriend break up with her through a text, her father had also been kidnapped.

Kathleen was so distracted by her phone; she did not notice that a tall male had been following her for the last three blocks. Kathleen suddenly stopped and squealed in delight. The male following her took the opportunity and pulled her into an alley. He pulled out a handgun and held it to her neck. He put his hand over her mouth and smiled. Kathleen whimpered as he pushed the gun harder into her neck. He sighed and said, "My name is Carter. You must be Elliot's daughter, right?"

Kathleen nodded as she began to cry.

"Well, I had this brilliant plan to bring down the NYPD and your dad and his partner screwed things up. Well, not entirely I still kidnapped five officers, killed three of them and screwed up your dad and Benson's careers!" Carter laughed. He continued laughing for a few moments while Kathleen saw the blood on his clothes. He smelled like death and alcohol.

"Anyway, I don't like to lose. Your dad and his partner aren't done paying for the crimes of the big bad New York Police Department. Unfortunately, I don't know where they are. So, you are going to be my leverage. I get the sweet thrill of getting your dad and his partner back, torturing them, and slowly taking the life out of them. In return, your family will get you back safe and sound," Carter replied. He threw Kathleen to the ground and put his foot to her throat. He pulled out a small syringe.

He checked the syringe and said, "Same one I used on your dad." He bent down and injected Kathleen in the neck. Kathleen spat in his face and muttered, "This….isn't …fair…."

Carter watched her lose consciousness then bent over her. "I know. That's the best part." he whispered.


	10. Chapter 10

"Hello?"

"Cragen?"

Cragen blinked as he held the phone to his ear. He glanced over to the clock and saw that was 3am. To Cragen, 3am phone calls were always urgent. Cragen sat up in his bed, rubbed his eyes, and asked, "Police Commissioner Jensen?"

"Where are Benson and Stabler?" Jensen asked. The police commissioner sounded annoyed and tired. He had spent the entire day attempting to win back New York City residents with press conferences throughout the city. Jensen felt that it was unsuccessful mainly due to protestors outside city hall and the thousands of angry letters he had received within the past week.

"I have them in the room next to mine. I have Detective Finn and Sergeant Munch keeping an eye on them. Why do you ask? Any news on the kidnapper?"

"No, but I'm afraid I do have some bad news. Kathleen Stabler was reported missing last night by her roommate. The roommate stated that Kathleen went out two nights ago and had not been heard from since. The roommate told campus police who told Kathleen's mother and us."

"Any leads?"

"A man called my office about an hour ago. He claimed to have Kathleen and wants Benson and Stabler handed over to him within 5 hours or the girl's dead. I assume that this guy's the kidnapper. He made good on his promise to kill Amelia James. I will not have a death due to this guy. I believe we should give him Benson and Stabler."

"What? No, I'm not handing my detectives over to be killed!"

"This guy has screwed with me enough! The NYPD reputation is going down the drain and I'm being pulled along for the ride. I know you care about them, but I think Stabler would rather have his daughter alive then himself. It also looks better- we don't need people questioning why the NYPD chose two of their own over a young girl. Plus, it looks like two brave detectives gave their lives for this girl."

"You already have newspaper headlines made up? Maybe, this guy was right about NYPD corruption."

"Watch it, Cragen. I'm going to let that comment go by because of what's been going on. "

"Police Commissioner, Stabler and Benson have been through enough already. I'm not going to make them go back to their kidnapper. They have been through too much this week already."

"I know and understand that. But I have made a decision and want both of them in my office within 2 hours. We will make the exchange with this man and get Kathleen Stabler back alive. If you will not bring Benson and Stabler to me, I will find an officer that will. Good bye."

The phone went silent.

Cragen closed his eyes and took a breath to attempt to calm hisself down. He would fight Jensen as harder as he could to protect Olivia and Elliot. The entire team was a like another family for him. He figured that he had to find another way to beat this guy. Like Jensen, he had had enough.

Cragen jumped out of bed and grabbed his keys. He left his hotel room and opened the room next to his. Finn was sitting and reading a magazine with his foot on the table. Munch was staring off into space as he sat next to Finn. Olivia and Elliot were asleep in a queen bed on the other side of the room. As Cragen entered, Munch blinked and turned his attention to Cragen.

"Any news?" he asked.

"Yeah, but what were you staring at?" Cragen asked. Munch was an excellent detective, but always seemed a little weird to Cragen. Finn rolled his eyes and said, "Just ignore him, captain. What happened?"

Cragen lowered his voice and said, "Kathleen is missing."

Finn's eyes widened as he gasped, "You think this is the same guy?"

"Yes, he made a demand. He wants us to give him El and Liv and in return, he would release Kathleen. "

"Captain, we can't do that!"

"I know. The police commissioner wants us to make the exchange. I refused and he threatened to find other officers to take El and Liv if we don't."

"You have got to be kidding me. This is like Sophie's choice- we either kill El and Liv or let Kathleen die," Munch replied.

Cragen sighed and muttered, "What are we going to do?"


	11. Chapter 11

Back in Manhattan, Police Commissioner Jensen opened the door to his house and let out a sigh of relief. He flicked the lights on and dropped his briefcase to the floor. He started to walk up the small flight of stairs that led to his living room ready to jump into bed and call it night. He had just endured a very stressful day filled with press conferences held to remind New York City of the NYPD's prestige record. The conservation with Cragen had also angered him. Jensen wanted the whole situation to be over with; it was destroying his reputation. If that meant he had to bend the rules a bit and hand over Cragen's detectives so he could keep his $180,000 a year job, then so be it. Jensen had fought hard to get his job and planned on keeping it one way or the other.

Jensen got to the top of the stairs and turned the living room light on. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Carter sitting on the couch with a gun to Kathleen's head. Carter stood up and exclaimed, "Police Commissioner, how nice of you to join us!"

Jensen reached for his gun, but stopped when Carter said, "I wouldn't do that. Unless you want to explain how young Kathleen Stabler died because of your poor negotiation skills. "

Jensen put his hand down and asked, "What do you want?"

"Benson and Stabler. I already enjoyed the fun of watching the NYPD fall apart. You give me the two detectives and I will release the girl."

Jensen replied, "What if I don't?"

"If you are the corrupt, arrogant police commissioner that would rather have the FBI out of hair, the public's love, and the precious $180,000 a year job, then you will make the call."

Back at the hotel, Cragen had just told Elliot and Olivia about Kathleen's kidnapping. Elliot sat in complete shock as he tried to understand what had happened.

"He wants to make a trade. He wants you and Liv in exchange for Kathleen's release. The commissioner wants us to do it, but I told him-"Cragen stated.

"We will go," Elliot muttered while staring at the wall.

"No, I won't let you go."

"We have to. It's my daughter. I would rather die than loosing Kathleen."

"Elliot, we can find another way to rescue Kathleen and get this guy."

"I'm sorry, Captain but we are going to go" Elliot said defiantly. Olivia sat quietly on the bed next to him and nodded. Cragen glanced between the two detectives. He knew both of them were so stubborn that they would go with or without Cragen's blessings.

Cragen sighed and muttered, "Ok. Take care of yourself."  
>" We will fight and hold on for as long as we can. If you guys can't rescue us, please take care of my family," Elliot stated as there was a knock on the door.<br>Finn opened the door to see two unhappy NYPD officers. One stated, "I'm officer Martinez and this is my partner, Officer Cristal. We are here to pick up Detectives Benson and Stabler." 

"We are coming," stated Olivia. As Finn glared angrily at the two NYPD officers, Olivia grabbed her crutches and limped towards the door. Elliot and she hugged Finn, Munch, and Cragen while on their way to the door. At the entrance of the door, Elliot and Olivia stopped and turned to look at Finn, Munch, and Cragen. Both groups exchanged sad looks before Elliot and Olivia turned and left.

Finn swallowed and said," Captain, you just can't let them go like that!"  
>" We aren't. I don't like the looks of this. Both of you guys check out of the hotel and meet me in the car in 10 minutes. I won't allow Jensen to just hand them over like they are objects! We are going to follow them and get Kathleen and our detectives out of there alive."<p>

30 minutes later, Cragen drove up by Officer Martinez's car in front of Jensen's home. From a few feet away, Cragen watched the two officers walk Olivia and Elliot into the Police Commissioner's house. Finn stated, "Why are they at Jensen's home? This should have been done under surveillance. Where is everyone else?"

"I don't know," muttered Cragen. He put on his vest and got out the car. Finn and Munch followed him with their guns drawn. Munch took another step then stopped when he heard gunshots ring through the house.


	12. Chapter 12

All three men took cover behind nearby bushes. Cragen pulled out his radio and called for help. Within 10 minutes, the FBI and NYPD had arrived ready for action.

Meanwhile inside the house, Olivia stared in horror at the two dead police officers on the floor. As soon they had walked through the door, Carter's men had shot Officer Martinez and his partner. Jensen was standing in the middle of the room with his hands in the air. Elliot gasped, "Kathleen!"

Kathleen attempted to run to her father but was stopped by Carter.

"Dad, I'm so sorry. I don't want to die!" she screamed. Elliot looked to Carter and stated, "You got what you wanted now let her go."

"Ok, suit yourself, "Carter muttered. He motioned the two men standing by the door to go outside. They grabbed Kathleen, who began to shriek when Carter punched Elliot in the face. The last thing she saw before she was forced outside was Olivia falling to the ground and splitting out blood.

When they stepped outside, Kathleen saw 10 police cars and FBI vehicles parked outside. Dozens of officers and FBI agents stood with their guns pointed at Carter's men. Kathleen took the moment and elbowed the man on her right causing him to stagger pack. The man on her left raised his gun ready to fire, but was shot dead before he could act. Kathleen ducked as the other man was shot right after the first. She began to cry as she stood up and ran into Munch's arms. He whispered "You're ok," as he held her in his arms.

Cragen looked Agent Daughthry in the eye and said, "Send me in."  
>Agent Daughtry looked at Cragen in shocked and stated, "No, I can't do that."<br>" You have to. They are my detectives!"I know this guy- give me...10 minutes in there to talk to him."  
>" Fine. 10 minutes and then I send my men in."<br>Cragen nodded and walked over to Finn and Munch.  
>"Munch, you stay here and make sure Kathleen is ok. Finn, I need you to into the neighbor's yard and try to get a good shot of Carter. I'm going to go in there"<br>Cragen turned and walked to the front door. He knocked and yelled, "NYPD- I just want to talk. You have my detectives!"  
>Cragen positioned himself with his gun aimed at the door, ready for any gunfire. The door creaked open revealing one of Carter's men. He growled," Give me your weapon."<br>Cragen handed over his weapon and entered the house. He stepped over officer Martinez and Cristal who were lying dead at the bottom of the stairs. He walked up the stairs and saw the standoff. Carter stood with his gun pointed to Jensen. Two of Carter's men each held a gun on Olivia and Elliot. Both looked as if they had taken a beating- Cragen could hear Olivia struggling to catch her breath. Cragen stopped at the top of the stairs and heard one of Carter's men take the safety off his gun. 

"My two men that met the NYPD outside?"Carter asked.  
>" Dead," Cragen replied flatly.<br>" Figures the NYPD would do that. Police commissioner Jensen and I were speaking about all of his corruption and lies he fed the public during his twenty years in office. On the list I handed the newspapers, did you see the crimes that he committed when he was a police officer? Drunk driving, taking bribes, ect… and the best part is that the list didn't even touch what he has done as police commissioner."  
>" Jensen will be punished. Now that everyone knows- he will pay for his crimes. You could have kept this between you and Jensen. Why did you kidnap the 5 officers?"<br>"This is not just because of Jensen. This is about the government who think they can destroy people's lives with no baggage. My family was uprooted from the home we have been for 20 years just because the city wanted to create a golf course and we just happened to be in the way. The budget got pushed in favor of big businesses and the corrupt police department instead of education and welfare! I have been forced on two extra military tours overseas- I missed the birth of my child because of that! So, last year I decided that I had enough. I was always a fan of Renaissance literature. My favorite was Machiavelli and his idea of an eye for an eye. It inspired this whole plot- the government took something from me, so I took something back."

"You killed innocent police officers! If you had such a problem, you could have spoken to anyone- a congressman-"

"You expected me to go to a politician? They are the most corrupt one of them all!"

"Ok, I do have one more question. Why Benson and Stabler? You have been hunting for them for the last few days."

"They were able to escape. They both had a drive that I admired; although, it helped them escape. Their drive is why I didn't kill them immediately like I had planned. Breaking them felt like it would be more fun. I wanted to destroy their drive so I found a simple solution. I forced Elliot to murder Chris which will hang over him for the rest of his life. And Miss Benson…..did she tell you?"

Cragen glanced over to Olivia who was staring at the ground. She swallowed and stated, "While we were escaping, I had the choice of rescuing Amelia and Jessica or leave them and have a better chance of escaping with Elliot. I chose to go with Elliot which in the end left Amelia and Jessica to their deaths."

"See? Not only do they have psychological wounds, they also have survivor's guilt. Even if you were able to keep them away from me, they probably would have committed suicide." Cragen shuttered at Carter's comment. His patience had just run out causing him to change the subject.

"You got what you wanted. Please let Olivia and Elliot go. They have suffered enough. "  
>"Captain, I'm just getting started!" Carter exclaimed.<br>Carter pushed Elliot to his knees and held the gun to Elliot's head. Carter growled and put Elliot's hands behind his head. Through the corner of his eye, Elliot could see police lights shining through the window a few feet away from him.  
>"Before I do this, police commissioner," Carter stated, "I would like to know how it feels to have 7 innocent police officers die because of your corruption and impotence."<br>Jensen opened his mouth but no words came out. Elliot felt the pain in his body increase as he stood there awaiting death.  
>"Any last words?" he stated to Elliot. Elliot nodded as he closed his eyes. Olivia suddenly bent down in front of Elliot and cried "Elliot, I love you."<br>"I love you too, liv," he whispered back. Olivia kissed him as tears ran both their faces. Carter reached over and grabbed Olivia's ponytail. He pulled her out of the way then grabbed Elliot's shoulder. 

In the bushes behind Jensen's house, Finn placed himself in a bush a few feet away from the window. He aimed and found a good shot of carter. Unfortunately, Carter had the gun against Elliot's head and was yelling something inaudible to Jensen and Cragen. Finn closed one eye and planned his shot. If he shot one of the men holding a gun to Olivia, Carter would instantly kill Elliot. If he killed Carter, there were still a chance that Olivia, Elliot or Cragen would be killed by one of Carter's men. He had one shot to make this right- Finn could see officers and agents slowly approach the house ready to enter. Finn muttered a prayer and then saw Carter raise his gun to shoot Elliot. With his time out, Finn picked his target and fired. 


	13. Chapter 13

At the sound of the gunshot, Olivia and Elliot ducked behind a couch while the NYPD and FBI burst through the door, firing at Carter and his men. Carter's men were killed almost instantly. Finn's shot had hit Carter in the shoulder. He fell to the floor and began to grimace in pain.

Four NYPD officers dashed towards Carter before he could retaliate. Carter's gun had fallen to the floor and slid over to Elliot. He grabbed the gun, but stayed behind the couch with Olivia. As Cragen checked on Jensen, Carter was arrested and led out the door. A chill went down Olivia's back as she heard Carter's laugh echoing through the house. He laughed as he was led out the house and into the back of a police car. Back inside, Finn entered the back door and cautiously approached the living room. When he saw that he had hit his target, Finn put his gun in his holster and approached Elliot and Olivia. Still sitting behind the couch, Elliot wrapped his arms around Olivia, kissed her forehead and let out a sigh of relief. Their ordeal was finally over.

A few hours later, Olivia settled back into her hospital bed under a warm, fuzzy blanket. It felt nice to get off of her feet and relax. She felt her guard, which had been on high alert, start to come down. She began to look towards the future and even began to contemplate starting a new relationship with Elliot. Olivia jumped up when Kathy burst into the room followed by Elliot. 

"You told my husband that you are in love with him?" she exclaimed.  
>"Yes, we both admitted it right before Carter was planning to shoot Elliot," Olivia stated.<br>"Well, that was in the spur of the moment, right babe?" Kathy asked Elliot. Elliot said nothing as he avoided eye contact with Olivia. Kathy rubbed his arm as Elliot stood in front of them quiet as a mouse. Kathy turned and looked Olivia straight in the eye. She growled, "Stay away from my husband."  
>She turned and marched out the room. Elliot whispered, "I'm sorry," and followed Kathy. Olivia buried her head in her blanket as the feeling of loneliness once more filled the room.<p>

**-6 weeks later-**  
>Finn pushed through the doors of the rehabilitation center located in Manhattan. He was on his way to meet Olivia, Casey, Alex, and Melinda during one of Olivia's rehab appointment for her leg. Finn had become an avid visitor for Olivia at her rehab appointment to serve as moral support. Even though 6 weeks had passed, Olivia still had trouble walking without aid. Finn entered a large room where he found Casey, Melinda, and Alex sitting on the floor eating ice cream. Olivia sat in her wheelchair with a miserable look on her face.<p>

"What happened to your rehab appointment?" Finn asked. He sat down in a chair next to Olivia and put his feet up on a desk.

"I canceled it," she muttered.  
>"What for?"<br>Olivia shrugged as Alex stated, "Hey, us girls are allowed a day to give up, be miserable, and eat a huge bow of ice cream."  
>Melinda toasted her bowl of ice cream towards Olivia in silence then continued to eat. <p>

"Come on Olivia, you are better that. Is this about Elliot?"asked Finn.  
>" I actually liked Kathy before she became all possessive about Elliot. Speaking of Elliot, he needs to just man up and leave Kathy," Alex stated.<br>"First of all, Elliot is a good man. He wouldn't just up and leave Kathy, especially after this ordeal. Second, Kathy almost lost her husband. She is just being protective and doesn't want to lose him again," Casey replied which was followed by angry glares from everyone in the room.  
>"Casey, whose side are you on?" Finn asked.<br>" Hey, I'm just making a professional observation, if you want my true answer then it-"  
>" I'm pregnant" muttered Olivia.<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

Everyone stared at Olivia in shock.

"I was raped during our kidnapping," she muttered. Casey sighed and said, " Are you going to keep it?"

"Yes. Hey, my mother kept me after she was raped. If she can do it, so can I."

"But, you just got rescued from your kidnapping. You can barely walk! How are you going to raise a baby by yourself?"

"I-I don't know. I'll figure it out."

"Olivia," Melinda said, " You are not physically or psychologically fit enough to do this by yourself."

"Melinda-"

"Let me finish. You won't be doing this alone if you let us help you. I'd be happy to let you stay with me while you get healthy." Finn nodded and replied, "Liv, if you need a ride to work or anything, let me know. Don't think anyone of us is going to let you go to any doctor's appointment by yourself, either."

Olivia felt tears come to her eyes. She put her hand over her face as she broke down crying. Alex stood up and hugged her while she cried.

"We are all here for you. Don't even think about your kidnappers- they are in jail and won't get out anytime soon. I'll make sure of that. Also, don't worry about Elliot, he's being stupid. He'll come around," Casey chimed in. Olivia nodded and wiped away her tears. Finn smiled at her as his phone suddenly rang. He stood up and walked to the other end of the room to answer it. Olivia watched Finn's relaxed expression turn to worry.

"Ok, captain. I'll ask her. Thanks!" she could hear him say. Finn hung up and walked to Olivia.

"Liv, someone just walked into the station claiming that she saw Elliot and you being kidnapped. "

"What?" Olivia exclaimed. Alex crossed her arms and stared at Finn in shock.

"She told Cragen that she was too afraid to tell anyone after it happened. Her story matches your story almost perfectly except for one thing. You told us that along with Carter and Thames, there were five other men involved in the kidnapping. When we raided Jensen's home, we killed those five men you told us about and arrested Carter. According to the woman, there were 6 men that attacked your vehicle. She described the 6th man to a police sketch artist and it doesn't match any of the 5 men we killed. "

"Ok, so you are saying that one of my kidnappers is still out there?"

"Yes, which means this isn't over."

After leaving the hospital, Finn drove Olivia to her apartment. For safety reasons, Olivia had decided to stay with Finn until the 6th kidnapper had been caught. While Finn took a suitcase and a few other items to his car, Olivia sat down on the couch and laid her head on against the arm of the couch.

"Liv, you alright?" Olivia turned to see Finn standing at the door.

"Finn, I'm so scared. What if he tries to come back and hurt me? What about my child?"

"Olivia, I promise nothing will happen to you. The only thing you need to focus on is getting healthy and that little boy of yours."

"I don't find out the sex of the baby for another 10 weeks! What makes you think it's a boy?"

"I just know," Finn chuckled. He watched Olivia smile as she stared out the window. She turned to Finn and said, "Before we go, there is something I need to get off my chest. When we were in the hospital, Thames stated that I did something bad like how Elliot killed Chris. I told everything to the investigator from Queens about the kidnapping, but I haven't told the people I trust yet. "

Finn put a hand on her shoulder and said, "You weren't ready."

"I am now. The only reason Elliot and I survived was because we found a way to escape. There was an airshaft next to the room that we were being held in. Two of the kidnappers wanted to "play a game" with Elliot and I. They unchained us both and dragged us out to a bigger area where the air shaft was. I guess both of them had gotten wasted before that because they were disoriented and they had forgotten to restrain us. When the time was right, Elliot pushed one of them into the wall and punched the other in the face. He then helped me limp over to airshaft and helped me in. Before Elliot got in, we heard Jessica crying for us to help her. Elliot wanted to go but I insisted that we needed to leave immediately. So, in the end, we left her there to die!" She broke down into tears.

" Liv, look at me. You did not intentionally leave her to die. You wanted to escape- you did what you had to do. If Elliot went back, he probably would have been captured and killed. Don't blame yourself; her death is not your fault!" He wrapped his arms around Olivia allowing her to sob in his arms.

Later that day, Elliot and Kathy were sitting in a bed at Elliot's house. Kathy snuggled next to Elliot, who was staring off into space. She ran her finger against his chest running over a scar that ran from his neck to the middle of his chest. She suddenly sat up and looked at her husband.

At least who she thought was her husband.

Elliot had become very distant with her and everyone else in general. Regardless of how many times she asked, Elliot never told Kathy the details of the kidnapping. Along with constant nightmares that revolved around Olivia, Elliot had turned into a ghost. It broke her heart as she watched him sit alone in their room during the past 6 weeks.

"You miss her, don't you?" she asked softly. Elliot glanced to her and asked, "What?"

"You miss Olivia."

"Yeah, I do. She's my partner."

"Elliot, look at me," Kathy asked. She stared him dead in the eyes, "I need you to trust me. There is something I need you to do for me. It will help you get better. It will also help our marriage and our family. Right now, you are broken. I want my husband back- the kids need their father back."

"What do you need me to do?"

Kathy held Elliot's hand and said, "I need you to leave SVU."


	15. Chapter 15

**Rikers Island Prison, NY**

Cragen paced across the interview room for the fifth time. He was nervous and trying to control his emotions. He was waiting for Detective Thames to be brought to him for questioning. Thames was waiting to be put on trial for murder and two counts of kidnapping. Right before his 6th trip across the room, two correctional officers brought Thames into the room.

Thames had a big smile which caused Cragen to scowl. One of the correction officer chained Thames to the small metal table located in the middle of the room. Cragen leaned against the window and waited for the two correctional officers to leave before asking, "Why did you do it?"

"What are you talking about?" Thames asked as he let out a laugh. Annoyed, Cragen replied, "Why did you get involved with Carter's plan?"

"I felt that it was for a good cause. I have worked in the NYPD for 14 years and the stuff that I have seen- the cover-ups, lies- it would blow your mind. I honestly believe it had to be done. Plus, killing those three cops and screwing up Benson and Stabler was just an added bonus."

"How did you meet Carter?"

"I arrested him back in 2005 on burglary charges. On the ride to Rikers, we got to talking about how screwed up everything in life is. He then explained his plan to me and I thought it was brilliant. After he served 6 months for burglary, we got to together and started planning."

"I see," Cragen muttered. He pulled out a notebook and began to jot down some notes. Thames watched Cragen then asked, "Speaking of, how are Benson and Stabler?"

"None of your business," Cragen responded while continuing to take notes. Thames sucked his teeth while Cragen dropped his notebook on the table and stated, "Yesterday, a woman came into the police station and claimed that there were 6 kidnappers instead of the five that Benson and Stabler knew about. We arrested or shot down everyone else except for this mystery guy. Who is he?"

"And kill the surprise? I couldn't do that, captain."

"What are you talking about?"

"You really think Carter would allow those two to move on from this kidnapping without one last fight? You know, in the last fight, where the good guy always comes around and wins in the end."

"Except you aren't the good guy and you won't win."

"Depends on what you define as good. Anyway, I would watch those detectives of yours. I promise you that this guy will kill your detectives. You won't know when. You won't know how," Thames laughed. Cragen glared the man down for a moment before grabbing the notebook and leaving Thames in the room.

Cragen drove from Rikers Island back to the police station in a complete daze. He entered the station without even acknowledging the people who had said hello to him. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Kathy standing by his office door. Cragen approached slowly and said, "Mrs. Stabler, how are you? Did something happen?"

She glanced over to Finn and Munch, who were glaring back at her. "May we talk in your office?"

"Of course, "Cragen opened the office door allowing Kathy to enter. Before entering, he could see the extreme anger on his detectives' faces. He entered the office and sat down in his chair while Kathy sat down in the chair across from him.

"How's Elliot?" Cragen asked. He had become especially concerned that Elliot had not come to visit or even say hi to anyone at the station in the last six weeks.

"That's why I'm here. He's become so distant. I know its part of the job, but I'm so sick of my husband coming home from work with injuries. I understand that he's broken right now, which is why we talked last night and both agreed that Elliot should leave SVU."

"What?" Cragen gasped, "He seriously agreed to just quit SVU like that?"

"Yes, I asked him to. I felt that it would benefit our marriage and our family if Elliot would do something a little less violent and work closer to home. I know you have worked with him for a very long time and this is so sudden, but when his medical leave ends at the end of this week, he agreed to transfer to another unit in Queens."

"Ok, then…..I guess I'll start the paper work," Cragen muttered. Kathy watched Cragen pull out papers from the bottom right of his desk in annoyance. She stood up and walked towards the door. Cragen put the papers on his desk and asked, "Are you doing this because Elliot and Olivia said they loved each other?"

Kathy stopped in her tracks and turned back to Cragen. "No…no," she spat, "I'm doing this to get husband back." Cragen nodded as she left the office. A few seconds later, Finn and Munch walked into the office.

"Captain, what's with her?" Munch asked.

"I don't know what she did, but she's getting Elliot to leave SVU." Finn rolled his eyes and stated, "Ok, how did the meeting with Detective Thames go?"

"Apparently, there is a 6th man out there that's going to try and kill El and Liv. Thames claims it was planned from the start. We won't know when or how this will happen. Here's what we are going to do; I'm going to get some agents from the New York FBI field office to set surveillance on the both of them. Munch, I want you to keep an eye on Elliot since Olivia is staying with Finn."

Finn and Munch nodded in agreement and left the office. Cragen picked up the transfer papers and leaned back in his seat. He then began to realize that the last six weeks had been the calm before the storm.


	16. Chapter 16

A few months later- January

"This is getting ridiculous," Olivia muttered as she walked past the officer that had been guarding the door. He stepped aside allowing her entrance into Finn's apartment. She entered and dropped her purse on the counter. It was the first time in a while that she had been allowed to be alone, not counting the guard at the door and the officer at the entrance of the apartment building.

Olivia climbed into the bed in the guestroom and snuggled with her pillow. She felt herself start to drift to sleep before she heard a _thump_ from the kitchen. She sat up quickly and felt herself go into high alert. While reaching into her nightstand for her gun, she yelled, "Officer Daniels!"

No response.

Olivia drew her gun and cautiously walked towards the guestroom door. An eerie noise had taken over the apartment, which scared her.

"Officer Daniels!" she exclaimed again, hoping that he had only stepped away or had not heard her. She stuck her head into the living room of the apartment and scanned the room. Everything seemed normal to her- nothing was missing or moved. She started to turn towards the kitchen before an object hit her in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground. She tried to reach for her gun before the intruder kicked it away and grabbed her by her ponytail. She whimpered as he threw her on the couch. Olivia landed on her back and quickly stood up. The intruder pulled out a pistol and aimed it at her stomach.

"You don't remember me, do you?" the intruder asked. Olivia put a hand around her stomach, praying her unborn child was ok.

"No, I don't," she answered sternly. She hoped that her tone would come across as bravery instead of fear.

"I'm the one who pulled you kicking and screaming out of your police vehicle while my friends "restrained" Stabler." The intruder watched Olivia tense up and smiled. He was going to murder Stabler and her which would complete the plan. Carter's plan had worked beautifully as the NYPD's reputation had been destroyed. Even within the last few weeks, the New York City residents did not fully trust the NYPD, eventually causing them to call the FBI for aid. Commissioner Jensen was kicked out of the position after details of some his past work had been released to the media. Every part of the plan had worked except for Benson and Stabler surviving.

He was going to put an end to that immediately.

A block away, Finn walked down the street holding on to a stack of papers. The cold January air made him shiver and wish that his car was not dead. He had gone down to the police station to grab a few things before his car died on the way back home. When he saw that he only had to walk a block to get home, Finn was unusually ok with it. He had become calmer within the past months, mostly due to Olivia's pregnancy. It never dawned on him why that had occurred, but he wanted to make sure Olivia and "little Benson" were ok.

After crossing an icy street, Finn slowed his walk to a complete stop when he saw no one standing at the apartment building door. An officer was supposed to stand charge at the door at all times when Olivia was home as a form of extra security. Finn approached the door quickly and glanced around for any sign of the officer. After taking a few steps back, Finn spotted a large bundle in a corner of the dark alley next to the building. Finn drew his gun and approached the bundle slowly, hoping that it was anything other than what he feared. He nudged the bundle with his foot allowing it to roll over. It was the officer, dead with a slit throat. Immediately, Finn whipped out his cell phone and dialed Munch.

"Hey, you're with Elliot and his family, right?" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," Munch answered back with concern in his voice, "He is standing right next to me with his family. What's wrong?"

"Get them to a safe place. I left two officers with Liv while I went to the station and now I just found one officer dead outside. Call for backup! "

"Ok, go," Finn heard Munch say before he hung up the phone. Finn stuffed his phone in his pocket and entered the building quickly. He tried to keep a calm and relaxed expression on his face as he passed residents with his gun drawn. After reaching his floor, he stuck his head into the hallway to see if anyone was there. Shockingly, all he saw was an empty hall and Officer Daniels sitting in a heap at his apartment door. Finn quickly approached him and checked his pulse. He was dead and also had a slit throat.

Finn took a breath and kicked down his apartment room door. He entered the room and aimed it at the man holding a knife to Olivia's neck. She was crying as he slowly slid the knife across her neck drawing blood. He smiled at Finn when he entered.

"Drop the weapon!" Finn exclaimed.

"No, no. I don't think I'll be doing that," the man stated.

"I swear to God you have to the count of three or I will shoot you point blank!"

"No, you won't. You try that and I will kill her before you even get the chance. Or I'll just do something even better," the intruder stated as he slid the knife down to Olivia's stomach," and kill the child. Nothing worse than a mother losing her baby, right?"

"Finn, I'll be ok. Just shoot him!" Olivia whimpered. Finn aimed at the man's head while trying to keep his nerves steady. He had done this before and hit Carter; he could definitely do it again. The intruder laughed as he stared Finn down, trying to psych him out. Finn took one last glance between Olivia and the intruder before firing.

The bullet hit the intruder in the side of his neck causing him to release Olivia. Instinctively, she grabbed the knife from his hand and backed away from him. The intruder began to choke while blood spilled from his neck. After a minute, the man was dead.

Olivia dropped her shoulders and glanced back to Finn. She watched him dial 911 while giving her a nod. She then dropped her head and rubbed her stomach. She whispered, "Please still be alive."

About an hour later, Olivia laid on a hospital bed with Finn and Casey right by her side. She was getting an ultrasound to check on the health of her baby. The nurse was running the ultrasound wand across her stomach when she asked, "How do you feel?"

"I'm a little banged up, but in general, I'm ok. I'm nervous about the baby," Olivia stated. She smiled nervously at Finn and Casey, who were sitting in chairs next to her.

"Is there a father involved? It's about the time that I can tell you the sex of the baby- I don't know if he wanted to be here for that."

"No, no father."

"What about the man you usually arrive here with? I know you are a detective with the NYPD and I have seen you around here many times with a man to speak to rape victims."

"Yeah, that was my partner, Elliot. We don't work together anymore," Olivia muttered. She had not heard anything from Elliot in weeks. Even when she saw Elliot at the hearings for Detective Thames and Carter, he did not speak to her. It was especially bad since Kathy, who had been with Elliot both times, had pulled him away in another direction anytime she saw Olivia.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Ah, ok here it is. The baby is doing fine. He's a little fighter."

Olivia gasped and exclaimed, "He? I'm having a boy?" She laughed while Casey and Finn cheered and hugged her.

Hours later, Elliot walked through the first floor of the hospital. He felt drawn there for some unexplainable reason. Kathy had no idea where he was, which made him happy. She had turned into a controlling lunatic and not the woman he had fallen love with so many years ago. He had only walked through the hospital entrance and foyer before he stopped in the hallway that led to the emergency room.

January had been a nuisance to New York City by giving the city freezing temperatures and ice storms. The ice storms had caused multiple accidents leading to the ER's in the city being filled. In this hospital, all none emergent patients were in beds in the hallway. Closest to the elevator was Olivia, sleeping on a bed next to Finn, who was asleep in a chair. She was lying on her side with her back towards Elliot, blocking his view of her stomach. He watched her for a few moments battling the desire to go and hug and kiss her. Olivia shifted her position causing him to panic. The guilt of shutting her out had tortured him for weeks. He hated that he had left her in SVU and went to homicide at a Queens precinct. The kidnapping had helped him realize that he truly loved her, but the fear he had earned from his kidnapping had turned him into a scaredy cat.

Elliot stood at the end of the hallway and watched his love sleep peacefully before leaving her alone. Again.

Olivia opened her eyes and sat up. She scanned the hallway nervously before deciding to go back to sleep. She had felt like someone had been watching her, but woke to see that no one was there.


	17. Chapter 17

**February**

Elliot sat on a ledge of a small cliff in Manhattan, watching the calm Atlantic Ocean. The sun was setting behind him allowing evening to approach. He felt calm and relaxed; something he had not experienced within the last five months. The unusual 50 degree February day had called out New Yorkers of all kinds to go for runs and enjoy the sun.

"Stabler?" Elliot glanced up to see Finn standing a few feet away from him.

"Hey, Finn. How have-"

"Have you spoken to Olivia?" Finn spat. Elliot stared at him in confusion.

"I heard you have been divorced for a month, Elliot, and you still haven't called Liv yet."

"Sorry, Finn, but why do you care?"

"While your crazy ex wife nurtured you back to sanity, Olivia was alone in this. Alex, Casey, Melinda, and I stepped in and have been there for her the whole way. But the one thing she truly needed these past five months was you, Elliot, but it took you 4 months to tell your wife that it was over. You didn't even have the balls to go see Olivia this whole time." Elliot stood up angrily and got in Finn's face.

"Hey, I don't you think you've noticed, I haven't been myself lately!"

"None of us had! How do you think the rest of us felt watching you two fall apart? Olivia was raped, how do you think she feels?"

"Hey, I was raped as well. I'm not going to walk around and cry about it!" The two men were moments away from hitting each other. Finn then backed up and pointed a finger at Elliot.

"If anything from the last twelve years of your partnership meant anything, go see Olivia. We will be at the station. We will be there all day- we had a triple homicide and three victims at one crime scene," growled Finn. He trudged away angrily leaving Elliot alone.

A few hours later, Elliot entered the police station and stopped by the entrance. To the right, he saw Cragen talking on the phone in his office. To his left, Olivia, Finn, and Munch were staring at the large computer screen at the other end of the room. Elliot quietly approached them and overheard, "Finn, that's ridiculous! Who's dumb enough to try and walk from Chelsea to Queens when it's below zero? Don't say he was poor because that Rolex is definetly real."

Elliot sat down on his old desk while the three of them continued to talk.

"Liv, it's realistic. Maybe the public transportation wasn't working that day."

"Munch, when you gave me a ride to work that day, I'm pretty sure the bus and train were working."

"Hey, I don't think they were working when we came back from the doctor's."

Elliot's eyes widened, "You went to doctor?"

All three of them turned around with surprised looks on their faces. Elliot's mouth dropped when he saw Olivia's swollen belly.

"You're pregnant?" he exclaimed. It caught the attention of everyone in the room. Olivia's face reddened as she grabbed Elliot's hand. She pulled him outside of the room and to the stairs outside of the police station.

"Yes, I'm pregnant," she whispered as soon as they were outside. Elliot leaned against the railing and stated, "And the man who raped you is the father?"

"Yes. And before you ask, I am keeping the baby."

"I would expect nothing less from you, Olivia."

"Thanks, El. I have to ask, why did you leave SVU? None of us have heard from you in months."

"I know and I'm sorry for that. I left SVU because Kathy asked me to. She asked me and I kind of just went along with it. I felt like I had lost my ability to fight for anything. I was very lost and depressed for the past few months then I got a little better."

"What about Kathy?"

"Around five weeks ago, I started to realize that she had used our kidnapping to try and keep me as far away as possible from you. I also realized that I didn't love her like I love you." Olivia felt her heart began to race. She hadn't fully gotten over Elliot in the past few months. He pulled her into an embrace to kiss her, but Olivia stopped him before he could kiss her.

"Elliot, you left me. You abandoned me for Kathy for months. I didn't get any phone calls- I didn't get anything! It's like you had cut me out of your life for good!" she exclaimed.

"I won't ever leave you again! I promise!"

"Elliot, I don't…I don't. I have to go," stammered Olivia. She darted back into the police station before Elliot could say anything.

After his meeting with Olivia, Elliot walk to a bar a two blocks away from the police station. He sat in a booth in a dark corner and ordered a bottle of scotch. After drinking two cups of scotch, he heard, "Trying to drown your sorrows away?"

He looked up to see Olivia standing next to him.

"I need you to promise me two things for us to work as a couple. First, you have to swear that you are done with Kathy. I mean, signed the divorce papers done. Second, I need you to love me and protect me for as long as you live." Elliot smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Yes and yes," he replied as he kissed her. She kissed him back, enjoying every minute of it. Elliot smiled and said, "Want to go somewhere less dreary and more romantic?"

"Yes," Olivia answered back. She held Elliot's hand and walked with him out the door. The couple walked down the street talking about their future and the present. At that moment, their troubles of the past five months had become nothing more than a memory.

**The End**


End file.
